MANHASSET, NEW YORK, MAY 24, 2019 Kari R. Wilson of Pilot Rock, Oregon has been recognized as a Woman of the Month for April 2019 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding achievements and high level of success in the field of healthcare. Each month we feature women to represent their professions and industries due to their expertise and success in their chosen specialty.
ABOUT KARI R. WILSON
Kari R. Wilson is the director of The Eudora Wilson House, which is an assisted living facility in Pilot Rock, Oregon which is due to open its doors summer 2019. In October 2018, Kari bought the old Baptist church on Southwest Street and the adjacent building at 585 S.W. Birch St. for about $200,000. She is working to renovate and reopen the two structures as the Eudora Wilson House. The Pilot Rock City Council has approved a conditional use permit to operate the facility, which would be the only one of its kind in the town of about 1,500. The home will add 12-15 jobs, including kitchen and care staff and is going to provide employees with on-site day care. Kari is responsible for general oversight of the facility. She also oversees fundraising efforts, community outreach, hiring employees, marketing, problem solving and providing basic caring for seniors.
The center will house up to 14 people, including couples. Much of the renovation is taking place in the building next to the church, where contractors are erecting bedroom walls, walk-in showers and are working on a kitchen complete with a commercial gas stove. The church next door has an old stage which will serve as performance space or to display movies from a digital projector. The biggest part of the project is the construction of a hall to connect the church to the building. Kari states, “We want to put in a senior care facility that will be licensed by the state.”
With over 20 years experience, Ms. Wilson began her career in care in 1995 when she worked for Umatilla County’s detoxification program. From there she worked at the long-closed state psychiatric center in Pendleton and the former Blue Mountain Recovery Center, the Pendleton facility that treated addicts and the mentally ill.
Since June 2015, she has cared for her mother-in-law, Eudora Wilson. Once the new facility opens, Kari advises that her mother-in-law wants to move right in. In her spare time, Kari enjoys playing golf and travel.